Devon & Exeter Squash Club
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NSL Cup Final - Sun 26th May

Exeter Imperials  1 - 2  Dunraven Windows Maesteg
 
Alex Gough lost  David Palmer  7/9, 3/9, 5/9 (35m)
David Evans lost John White  7/9, 6/9, 7/9   (28m)
Joe Kneipp beat  Martin Heath  9/6, 9/5, 9/5  (32m)
 

The matches showed these to have been justified in the case of Heath. A problem with the sole of his foot has become chronic and he could not quite match ebullient Australian Joe Kneipp. " I didn't play well, right enough" as Heath commented, masking the fact that his foot problem has yet to be solved.

Heath's 6/9 5/9 5/9 loss to Kneipp, who was flown in from his holiday in Majorca, uplifted the home crowd, but this was dissipated as Palmer took to the court looking less jaded than in the semis the previous day.

The Australian remained focussed and simply allowed Exeter's Alex Gough to slowly self destruct on a tide of irritability towards himself, his opponent and the match referee. The 35 minute match went Palmer's way 9/7 9/3 9/5.

"David was obviously up for it. He wanted revenge for the British Open". Gough commented afterwards. "I was confident going into the match and I wanted it, but it didn't quite flow" he added.   

One all and the NSL Cup to be decided between Exeter's David Evans and Maesteg's John White.

Evans had a win over the Scot early in the League campaign, but needed no reminding that his loss to Simon Parke on the last night meant that the title was snatched by Halifax.

White was blowing hot in the first two games, pummelling the ball with his trademark venom. Evans was always chasing. The Exeter crowd were roaring, but there was no let up from White.

His win took Dunraven Windows Maesteg to a hat-trick of NSL Cup wins, and left Exeter Imperials manager Tony Snell and his squad wondering how both trophies could have been snaffled so agonisingly from under their noses.    

Maesteg match-winner John White
with manager Gerwyn Davies

the mighty Maesteg team

3/4 Play-off:
Halifax bt Ipswich 3-0
Lee Beachill  bt Peter Genever  9/5, 9/6, 9/2
Nick Matthew  bt Bradley Ball  9/6, 9/7, 9/2
Adrian Grant bt Ben Howell  10/8, 9/3, 9/3
 

Beachill Player of the Season
During the finals weekend Lee Beachill was announced as the NSL player of the season.

The Halifax Home Insurance number one beat Paul Price and Stewart Boswell amongst others in the League, then scored a convincing 3/0 win over world number 2 David Palmer in the semis of the NSL Cup.

The Foot Anstey Sargent supported Exeter Imperials squad
that came so close in Cup and League.

Semi-Final #1
Exeter Imperials 3-0 Ipswich
David Evans bt Peter Genever
9/6, 9/2, 4/9, 9/4
Joe Kneipp bt Bradley Ball
9/4, 9/5, 9/6
Hadrian Stiff bt Ben Howell
9/2, 9/4, 8/10, 9/4

Semi-Final #2
Halifax 1-2 Maesteg
Lee Beachill beat David Palmer
10/8, 9/7, 9/4 (37m)
Nick Matthew lost John White
6/9, 9/5, 7/9, 5/9  (38m)
Adrian Grant lost Martin Heath
10/8, 3/9, 5/9, 7/9 (48m)

In the first match left hander Adrian Grant extended Maesteg's world 11 Martin Heath in their 48 minute tie, sensing that the Scot was not absolutely on his game.

Beachill played really solidly, keeping the ball straight and using his ability to hold shots to great effect. " I tried to keep David behind me and to absorb the pressure when I needed to" he said after wrapping up the match in 37 minutes.

Nick Matthew competed all the way with White, but the sheer power of the Scot, forcing the ball deeply into every crevice was enough to repeat the scoreline between the two teams in the final last year. But that was only after he exchanged the nicks for the tin to lose the second game.

Exeter will now try to stop Maesteg winning the cup for the third time in a row tomorrow.

Kneipp call-up for Exeter
Only two days ago Australian Joe Kneipp had been contacted on holiday in Majorca and flown across to bolster the Exeter Imperials tilt at the NSL Cup. In the end he had a gentle outing in a dead rubber with his team mates having already seen off the Ipswich challenge, with local star Hadrian Stiff saving three game balls in the third on his way to beating Ben Howell, and former British open champion David Evans withstanding a determined challenge from Peter Genever in their 50 minute encounter.

Kneipp will certainly be needed in the final, as will Alex Gough who arrives to supplement to Exeter effort to take the cup, having lost out in the League to Halifax at the very death.  

Maesteg master Halifax in semis


Ipswich team upbeat after semi-final defeat

Halifax Home Insurance player Manager Marcus Berrett was presented with the Super League trophy, before the start of their semi with Maesteg. The Queens Club based team had snatched the title on the last night of the season when Exeter lost 2/1 to Nottingham.
L to R:  Beachill, Berrett, Matthew, Grant

22-May
HALIFAX CUP WIN WOULD
CAP SEASON FOR BERRETT

Halifax Home Insurance have the chance of adding the NSL Cup to their League title this weekend; but to achieve the double will be a stiff test.

Their first task will beat to get past Dunraven Windows Maesteg in the semi finals, the Welsh side being led by world number two David Palmer from Australia. With British Open runner up John White and fellow Scot Martin Heath joining Palmer in the Maesteg line-up the obstacle to the Yorkshire side looks large indeed.

Halifax are led by national champion Lee Beachill and have Nick Matthew, Adrian Grant and player / manager Marcus Berrett in their squad, and jumped from the pack to snatch the League title at the death. They may not have the elevated rankings of their opponents, but Berrett still believes they can spring a surprise.

"We have become known as the upset kings and plan to live up to our name. The chance of the double is there and we prefer not to go in as favourites", Berrett says.

The other semi final sees weekend hosts Exeter Imperials playing Ipswich. The Devon side are fronted by top Welsh duo of Alex Gough and David Evans, along with local star Hadrian Stiff; but will remember their January League match in which Ipswich burgled a 2/1 win.

Ipswich have Peter Genever, Bradley Ball and Ben Howell on duty.